Fire and EMS Transition Plan – Town of Wheaton, Chippewa County, Wisconsin

Transition Plan for Town of Wheaton to Leave Chippewa Fire District

As part of leaving Chippewa Fire District the following transition plan was developed to track progress and ensure transition plan remains on track for Go-Live date.

Timeline	Task Description	Status
May 2019	Create Wheaton Fire & EMS Research Committee	Completed
August 2019	Wheaton Fire & EMS Research Committee Recommendation for Town Board Finalized	Completed
September 2019	Finalize Negotiations with City of Eau Claire and City of Chippewa Falls on EMS Services and receive final City approvals Contracts signed with City of Eau Claire EMS and City of Chippewa Falls EMS	Completed EC - Completed CF - In Progress
October 1, 2019	Town of Wheaton notice provided to Chippewa Fire District	Completed
October 2019	Town of Wheaton requests Chippewa Fire District provide which distribution method will be used for handling Town of Wheaton share of Chippewa Fire District Begin Promoting Volunteers Needed and Application Process Town of Wheaton Budget Process Determine Wheaton Fire Department Committee Members	Completed Completed Completed Completed
November 2019	Town of Wheaton Budget Finalized and Approved	Completed
December 2019	Setup Wheaton Fire Department Committee	Completed
January 2020 – December 2020	Organization Determine Type of Fire Department - Decided on Municipal Determine Chief Hiring Process and Hire Date Determine if Fire Commission Needed - Decided 3 person Fire Commission Needed Appoint Fire Commission Members - Appointed Scott Morris, Dale Hayden, and Eugene Gutsch Research ByLaws Create Fire Entity Ordinance - Approved Wheaton Fire and Rescue and Ordinance #39 Legal Reviews / Contracts City of Eau Claire EMS Contract approved and signed City of Chippewa Falls EMS Contract approved and signed Setup Mutual Aid Contracts Review Federal Regulations Attorney reviews Fire Department to ensure in compliance with State Laws Equipment Equipment Requirements and Maintenance Research Purchasing of Radios for Trucks and Handheld Radios Purchasing Trucks - Engine 2, Engine 33, Brush 2, Brush 3, Tender 1, and Tender 3 Purchasing Equipment Other Than Trucks Funding Apply for Grants Funding Sources Reach Agreement with Chippewa Fire District on Final Wheaton Valuation of Chippewa Fire District Personnel Volunteers Recruitment including Current Members Encourage Existing Firefighters to become First Responders or EMTs	Completed Open Completed Completed Open Completed Completed Open Open Open Open Completed Completed Completed Open Open Open Open Open Open
December 31, 2020	Town of Wheaton contract with Chippewa Fire District expires	Open
January 1, 2021	Go-Live Date Contact Chippewa County 911 Call Center Prior to Go-Live Date Wheaton Fire District begins providing Fire & First Responder Service Eau Claire provides EMS Service for areas west of County Road F and 80^th Street Chippewa Falls provides EMS Service for areas east of County Road F to Chippewa Falls	Open Open Open Open

Frequently Asked Questions

1.) Why Leave Chippewa Fire District?

a. For the last several years while Chippewa Fire District fire budget has remained balanced the EMS budget continues to operate in the red.

b. Previous actions by Town of Wheaton Town Board for the last several years have been overruled by the Chippewa Fire District board.

i. Requiring separate Fire and EMS budgets be balanced each year.
ii. Most recently Town of Wheaton Town Board at July 9, 2019 meeting voted not to allow Chippewa Fire District to combine the Fire and EMS budgets. Chippewa Fire District approved at September 17, 2019 to combine Fire and EMS budgets despite previous objection from Town of Wheaton Town Board!
iii. Requested a distance range of less than 100 miles on transfers. Transfers are what continues to cause EMS budget to operate in the red.
iv. Input into Fire Truck purchases and needs for Town of Wheaton.
v. Input into all Equipment and Gear purchased.

c. Local control

i. Money spent all remains in Town of Wheaton!
ii. Town of Wheaton residents aren’t paying for equipment that never gets used in Wheaton!
iii. Currently Town of Wheaton owns 17% share of Chippewa Fire District assets after liabilities are subtracted.
iv. Fire Commission/Town Board to control and resolve local issues.

2.) Are my taxes going up?

a. No, Town of Wheaton will continue to operate within our levy limits and percentage increase limits allowed per WI Statute 66.0602 – Local Levy Limits.

b. Hard decisions will have to be made. If we stay with the Chippewa Fire District these costs are not contained along with Fire and EMS budgets being balanced each year. This will lead to less and less other town services or taxes increasing to offset the Chippewa Fire District cost increases.

3.) What does the Town of Wheaton pay currently for Fire and EMS services from Chippewa Fire District?

4.) Give some examples of other areas that have their own volunteer fire department and partner with City of Eau Claire or City of Chippewa Falls for EMS.

5.) Will the current Wheaton fire department volunteers continue to provide service to the Town of Wheaton?

Service	2017	2018	2019
Fire	$128,977.08	$133,511.64	$138,582.83
EMS	$61,275.06	$63,678.55	$68,031.03
Total	$190,252.14	$197,190.19	$206,613.86